The February issue of That's PRD is out now, in both paper-and-ink form citywide and digital PDF form on our website. Here, Chief Editor Jocelyn Richards introduces the magazine:
China never feels extraordinary until you leave. Last month, the holidays brought me back to a village of 3,000 in snowy upstate New York, where lights go out at 10pm, people excuse themselves far too often and new restaurant openings aren’t the weekly norm but rare exceptions in a tired economy.
Though it wasn’t my first trip home since I started working in China five years ago, it was the first time I’d moseyed around my country with such heightened awareness. Nothing had changed, of course, but nothing looked quite the same either.
This month’s cover story delves into the power of perspective and the great lengths (or heights) some photographers are willing to go to acquire a unique vantage point. Those brave souls you see scaling skyscrapers and posting evidence of death-defying climbs on Instagram? It turns out they aren’t merely looking to gain followers – they seek, as any good artist would, a new angle from which to perceive the world. But just how terrifying is it to balance 115 stories above the ground on Ping’an International Finance Centre in Shenzhen? We chat with photographers NK Chu (@NK7), Yu (@5.12), Cheuk (@cheukyh), David Yen (@chilltron4000) and Jennifer Bin (@jenniferbin) on p30 to find out.
In Life & Style, we explore a different (and undoubtedly safer) road to acquiring an altered perspective – virtual reality – which many predict will be the emerging market in tomorrow’s world economy. Read about the latest in China’s VR industry on p18, including when we can expect the futuristic technology to find a place in our living rooms.
It’s easy to focus on what lies ahead, but every promising future owes a hat tip to the past. This month, our team bids farewell to two accomplished members of the That’s PRD family: Morri Qin, our business development manager, and Tom Lee, our editor in chief.
Joining the team eight years ago, Morri’s time at That’s well predates mine, but her energy and resolve have inspired me ever since our first meeting back in September 2015. Anyone who knows Morri (and frankly, almost everyone in this city does) will be quick to admit that her tenacity is unparalleled and her knowledge of this region unmatched. I’m confident she has a bright future ahead of her, but speak for our entire team when I say she’ll be greatly missed.
And chances are you wouldn’t even be reading this magazine if it weren’t for the vital contributions of our editor in chief over the last three years, Tom Lee. The longest serving chief editor in the history of That’s PRD, Tom has worked tirelessly to turn this publication around, giving it credibility and creating a sound foundation for our current team to build upon. I’m personally grateful to him not only for helping break my Oxford comma habit, but for reviving this magazine on behalf of everyone living in South China, so that you can discover cool weekend excursions, try the latest restaurants in town and approach life in this fascinating country with a fresh perspective.
Here’s to filling some pretty big shoes.
> Guangzhou: Download the February issue of That's PRD here, or view it in your browser with Issuu here. To download previous issues, click here.
> Shenzhen: Download the February issue of That's PRD here, or view it in your browser with Issuu here. To download previous issues, click here.
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